The Children
by keep austin wierd
Summary: SEQUEL TO 'THANKS TO THE CHILDREN', read that first. Madi, Owen, Lucy, and Peter are now teenagers. Follow their journey through adolescence and changing relationships.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

MPOV

I realized something today. It concerns my best friend, Peter. Before I divulge my big secret, however, you should probably know more about us.

My name is Madi Cullen. My dad is Edward and my adoptive mom is Bella. I'm fifteen going on sixteen. I have the same hair color as my brother, Owen, and my dad, but mine is much longer. I have bright green eyes and dainty shoulders. I dress in jeans and T-shirts, like my mom, but I always wear my hair in a loose bun. My body is average, nothing really special going on there.

Peter is what keeps me grounded. He is as important as Owen. His father, Doug, is close friends with my dad. His adoptive mom and my dad's secretary, Tanya, died two years ago of breast cancer and Peter took it hard. Peter has a twin, Lucy, that is best friends with my twin. Peter has shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes as bright as my green ones. He's well built and kinda perfect. Peter is sixteen.

Now to the interesting part: our relationship. Definitely not dating, but definitely not friends. Does that help you understand? Me neither. He has been a part of my life for so long that I couldn't imagine my life without him, but our relationship isn't romantic. We hug, went to the movies last night, talk on the phone until two in the morning, and are with each other every spare moment. His customary greeting is ever 'Hello gorgeous.'

Remember: not dating.

Why not? I guess it'd never crossed our minds. Now that I think about it, I've always loved Peter. He is the one thing I depend on to get me through the day. We joke constantly and he makes me smile until my face hurts. He practically lives at my house and only goes to his house to sleep. My parents treat him as another one of their siblings, as they do with Lucy. Even so, our relationship isn't that of siblings because it's closer.

Today, I had started to look at all the pictures I had on my camera. There were tons of pictures of Peter, Lucy, Owen, and me because we were such a tight knit group. Owen and Lucy spend a lot of time alone, as do Peter and I, but we also do a lot of things together. The pictures that made me think were the dozens of pictures of only Peter and me.

The longer I looked at them, the more I realized that we fit together perfectly. I seemed to orient myself around him in every picture. He was touching me in some way in every frame. I was so used to the simple touches that I don't realize them. In all of them we look happy. Then I came to two that surprised me.

Peter was looking at me while I was smiling into the camera. His eyes were piercing and he looked like he was thinking. He looked so happy, just looking at me.

I was looking at him while he was smiling into the camera. I didn't know I looked at him that way. The look I gave him was trusting, happy, content, and…loving.

It was then that I realized that I didn't love Peter. I'm _in love_ with Peter.

So where does that leave our relationship now?

OPOV

"Hey Owen," Lucy, my angel, said as she walked through my door.

"Hi Lucy," I responded nonchalantly, shutting my door and locking it behind her. As soon as the coast was clear, Lucy jumped into my arms and I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"I missed you," Lucy whispered in my ear.

"You saw me last night," I reminded her. We went to see a movie last night, since it was Friday. Now it's ten on a Saturday morning. I love the weekends.

"I know, but Peter and Madi were there," Lucy reminded me.

"Don't you think it would be better if we told them about…us?" I asked hesitantly. I pulled away and saw Lucy's face tighten slightly.

"Give me a bit more time." I wasn't going to press her on this because it's her decision, but I thought that our twins should know what's going on. You see, Lucy and I have been secretly dating for two months now.

Why keep it a secret?  
Because how would you tell your parents that you're making out with someone you've been best friends with since preschool? It wasn't weird for us, but that's because kissing Lucy is as natural as holding her hand. It was one of the many sides of our relationship. We were friends first, and that gave us a good basis for a real relationship. It's easy to explain to each other and to ourselves, not so easy to explain to parents.

"We don't have to tell our parents, but Peter and Madi would understand. Can we tell them after lunch so we don't have to hide it from them anymore?" I didn't want to push her too hard, but she understands how hard it is to keep something like this from your twin. Lucy sighed deeply.

"This afternoon, I guess. As long as this doesn't spread to Edward, Bella, and Dad, its fine," she consented and my mood was instantly brighter. I spun her around quickly before setting her back on her feet. I slipped my hands in her hair and kissed her softly. I loved that she wore her long, blonde hair down. Lucy pulled away and I smiled at her heavy breathing. I hide my smile by hiding my face in her hair.

My smile dropped when I noticed that now is a good time to say it. I've wanted to for months, but there was never a right time. I didn't want her to think I was joking or not taking us seriously, so I thought I should wait. Have I waited too long? _Stop Owen, just do it_. I moved my lips closer to her ear.

"I love you, Lucy."

MPOV

I was still staring at the pictures on my camera when the door flew open. I didn't look up because I already knew it was Peter. He sat on the bed and casually wrapped his arm around my shoulders. My heart started beating faster and his proximity was suddenly very distracting. I didn't think my body would start reacting to what my mind suddenly realized.

"Hello gorgeous," he said softly. Peter said that every time he saw me, but today his breath across the back of my neck made me shiver slightly. I held my breath when he leaned over my shoulder to look at the picture on my camera.

"Hey Peter," I breathed. Peter didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the camera and brought it closer to his face. He rested his chin on my shoulder and his close proximity was _very _distracting.

"These pictures are great," Peter said as he began to flip through them. I could've sworn he blushed when he came to the picture that caught him staring at me. I brushed the thought away and then it was my turn to blush. I held my breath again as Peter took in the picture of me staring at him. He studied the picture carefully and lingered over it for a solid thirty silent seconds.

"This is my favorite," Peter said calmly before flipping to the next picture. Deciding this awkward couple minutes have to end, I spoke up.

"Let's go chill with Lucy and Owen," I suggested. I could overcome this intense, instantaneous, and inescapable attraction I felt towards Peter. I just needed some time to sort out my feelings and thoughts.

"We spent yesterday with them. I thought that we could spend some alone time with just us, bestie." Peter said the last word jokingly and pulled me into a tight hug. I took a deep breath. We are best friends and nothing more, I reminded myself over and over.

"Um, we can go bowling after lunch then?" I settled. By this afternoon, I should have more of a hold on myself. Peter nodded and pulled me up by the hand. He didn't let go of my hand as we walked towards Owen's room, which was the old guest room. Hashe always touch me this often or have I never noticed before? I opened Owen's door without knocking, as I always do.

"Hey Owen, Lucy," I greeted them. Both Lucy and Owen's faces were flushed, but I couldn't think why.

"Hi Madi. MTV has a marathon on today," Lucy smiled widely. She patted the seat on the bed next to her and I plopped down on top of the comforter. Lucy scooted closer to Owen and Peter sat close beside me. You know, when we were younger we all fit on the bed easier. Now it was a tight fit.

"Where's the remote?" Peter asked and Owen tossed it to him over our heads. Five minutes later, after laughing our heads off about the show, Owen cleared his throat and I noticed that Lucy looked really tense.

"Lucy and I have something to tell you, and I think now is the best time." Owen looked down at Lucy and she took a deep breath before taking over.

"I don't quite know how to say this, so I think I'll let Owen tell you," she said slyly. Wait, what? I'm so lost.

"Thanks so much, Lucy," Owen mumbled. "Lucy and I are together. Like dating _together_."

I love that they're happy and that I might have Lucy as a legal sister. I'm just surprised. It took a solid fifteen seconds for me to take it all in. Once it was in, I launched myself onto Lucy and Owen and hugged them tightly.

"That's great, you guys," I squealed. I pulled back and saw that Owen had relaxed but Lucy was watching Peter closely. Peter had his jaw clenched and he was giving Owen, his best guy friend, the dirty look.

"Owen, I think we should talk."

"Peter, I don't think that's necessary," Lucy said quickly.

"It's OK, Lucy, I understand," Owen said calmly, looking Peter in the eye.

I hope Owen knows what he's getting into.

* * *

**AN: This story is going to be chiefly about the two sets of twins. Bella and Edward will be in the story, though. I think I'll stick mainly to Owen and Madi's POVs. I hope to get as many lovely reviews on this as I did on 'Thanks to the Children'.**

**FUNFACT: This story will be fun because I get to play with the main characters.**

**Thanks to Music ADD, my unofficial Beta. Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

OPOV

"Owen, you know you're my best guy friend but, as my sister's boyfriend, you need to hear the basic threats," Peter said in a straightforward manner.

"I understand," I said honestly. I would do the same if roles were reversed.

"You break her heart and I break your face. If you hurt her, I will hurt you…" Peter went on in the same manner for the next couple of minutes. He ended with, "No hard feelings, though. I needed to clear the air a bit."

"I don't plan on hurting her, Peter. You know I wouldn't do that," I insisted and Peter nodded before starting to chuckle.

"The girls probably think I'm beating the crap out of you." I laughed with him. I wasn't about to tell him I didn't rule that out myself. "I'll expect the same leniency," Peter said casually.

I'm sorry, WHAT?

"You expect yourself to be in my position? Is there something about you and Madi that you want to tell me?" I asked, looking at him seriously. It would be hypocritical for me to get upset if he did care for Madi, but I still had to ask.

"Owen, if you and Lucy work out why then there's no reason… I mean, it's not completely out of the question… What I'm trying to say is-" He finally stopped and took a deep breath. "I really like her, dude."

Breathe Owen, breathe.

The more I thought about it, the more stupid I felt for not realizing it earlier. I thought they were just two best friends. Lucy and I looked like two best friends too, though. If I were to trust my sister with anyone, it would be Peter.

"I hope everything works out," I said softly, not knowing what else to say. I mean, really! What am I supposed to say when I find out my best friend wants to date his best friend and my twin sister?

"Me too. By the way, this conversation is between us. Don't tell Lucy, even." I nodded quickly. I needed to get out of this room and think about things.

"I guess I'll let the girls back in." I hopped up and opened my bedroom door. The two of them were nowhere in sight. I went to check in Madi's room and I felt Peter on my heels. There was a lot of noise filtering through the door. I opened it cautiously and realized that I wasn't ready for the scene before me.

"He always puts his hands in my hair and grips it right behind my neck gently," Lucy said through her giggles. She was laughing at Madi, who had her hands on her ears and was singing "la la la" to drown out Lucy. Madi stopped singing momentarily and looked at Lucy curiously.

"That's why you always wear your hair down." Lucy laughed loudly at Madi's expression and nodded quickly. "You know, I would bug the crap out of you for details if you weren't talking about making out with my _brother_!"

"OK, that's all I can handle for today," Peter interrupted Lucy before she could say anything else. Lucy looked up and noticed that both Peter and I had heard her last comment.

"Sorry Peter. I think Owen and I will leave you two to your bowling." Lucy stood up quickly, blushing madly, and pulled me along behind her. I waved over my shoulder at Peter and Madi. Once in my room, I shut the door and locked it again. I turned to face Lucy only to find that she had her back to me. She was still embarrassed.

"So you wear your hair down for me, huh?" I smiled widely, hoping to get a rise out of her. She spun around quickly and I finally got to see the beautiful flush on her cheeks.

"I don't think I can handle you getting a big head-" Lucy started, but I cut her off by placing my hand over her mouth. The heat of her blush seeped into my hands pleasantly.

"Nothing you do gives me bragging rights. I'm not like that. Our relationship is only between you and me. Besides, your brother is my best friend and he'd kick my ass," I joked and I got a slight giggle out of her. After I removed my hand from her mouth, she sighed and leaned into my chest. My arms instinctively wrapped around the woman I loved. The woman that loved me. Hm, I guess I never told you guys about that.

_Flashback:_

_"I love you, Lucy," I whispered directly by her ear. I heard her intake of breath and she pulled away so she could look me in the eyes._

_"Really?" she breathed. Wow. That's romantic. Not exactly the response I was going for, but better than running in the opposite direction. _

_"I wouldn't joke about this, Lucy," I said slowly. I watched a wide smile sneak across her face. _

_"Why?" she asked shortly. 'Um…because I do?' Somehow, I knew that wasn't the answer she was searching for._

_"Because you're the most important person in my life. You've always been." Bingo. Her eyes melted and she leaned her head back on my chest. My hands rested lightly on her hips._

_"Good answer. Did you rehearse that?" she joked. I tried to make my voice light, but I was nervous because she hadn't responded to my brave declaration. _

_"No, I'm all about ad-libbing." She giggled softly before sighing. _

_"I love you too, Owen." Even though I'd been hoping for her to say she felt that way, hearing her voice say those simple words still shook me to the core. _

_"Really?" I whispered jokingly. _

_"I wouldn't joke about this, Owen," she mumbled into my shirt. I lifted her head up so I could look her directly in her blue eyes._

_"I would ask you why, but I already know it's my devastating good looks." _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ I scolded myself silently. My automatic response was to be a smart ass. I really couldn't help it; it was part of who I was. Didn't make me sound less than an ass, though._

_"If I didn't love you as much as I do, I'd slap you." Instead of hitting me, she lifted her head and kissed me. _

_End Flashback_

I rested my chin on top of Lucy's blonde hair and smiled softly.

MPOV

I released the ball and watched it skirt the lip of the gutter before curving around to hit the pins directly in the center.

_Strike!_

"I don't see why I bother trying to win any more," Peter muttered from behind me. I shrugged without turning around.

"Do you want me to bowl your turn for you?" I offered. I'd done it the last two times and that was the only reason he wasn't being _completely _creamed.

"No," he huffed, sounding insulted and a little frustrated. "Let's take a break to talk about recent discoveries," he suggested, patting the seat next to him. I slid in the slick bowling shoes over to the uncomfortable chairs. He took my hand immediately and rested out intertwined fingers on my knee lightly.

"So what do you want to talk about?" I asked innocently. I knew exactly what he wanted to talk about but knew nothing about what I wanted to say.

"So how do you feel about Lucy and Owen dating?" I expected some teasing, but instead he looked at me curiously. He watched me closely and tried to gauge my true reaction. Peter has always been attentive to my thoughts and feelings.

"I'm happy that they're happy. I think it will take some getting used to them, but I hope they work out," I said honestly. Peter nodded thoughtfully.

What the hell goes on in that boy's mind?

"Come on Peter, what are you thinking about?" I urged, squeezing his hand tightly.

"I'm happy for them, but…it makes me think about other things," he replied vaguely.

"Care to be more specific?" I leaned against the back of the seat.

I repeat: What the hell goes on in that boy's mind?

"Maybe, but not now."

"That's not a good enough answer." I held his gaze with my eyes. Peter doesn't usually hide things from me. The only thing he hides from me is my birthday present.

"I think every person needs a secret. Let this be mine. I'm sure you'll find out what I'm thinking about soon enough." Stupid, irresistible man.

Stupid, irresistible man I just realized I loved.

"Fine, but I won't forget this," I warned as I stood up to bowl another round.

"I wouldn't expect you too. So on a different note, have you finished the English paper due Monday?" Peter's voice switched from serious to casual quickly.

"That's real funny, Peter. You know I won't start until Sunday afternoon," I laughed lightly. I was known for being a procrastinator. I don't see the point in doing something today when I could do it just as easily tomorrow. "What about you?" I asked, knowing he was probably almost done.

"I was planning on finishing tonight, actually," he said, blushing slightly. He thought it was completely un-cool to do things ahead of time. It was something I admired about him.

"Good, you can help me when I call you at ten tomorrow, desperately needing your help." I smirked widely and released the bowling bowl with perfect form.

_Strike! _The sound of smashing pins bounced around the nearly empty bowling alley. I was on my way to a perfect score.

"I hate how good you are at bowling," Peter said remorsefully.

I hate how good you are for me.

* * *

**AN: I know how long it has been and I apologize. My beta wasn't able to look at this chapter, so please excuse any mistakes I may have missed.**

**FUNFACT: I like turning my music all the way up so it drowns out the rest of the world.**

**Thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

MPOV

"Mom! Dad! Peter and I are home," I yelled as I walked back into the apartment. We were almost late for dinner. Dinner was at six every night without fail. Most nights, we were joined by Peter and Lucy.

"Good evening, Madi. What were you and Peter up to today?" my father, Edward, asked as I walked into the kitchen.

Dad looked young and spry for, you know, a dad. Most of my friends' parents looked tired, sad, and _old_. I couldn't tell the difference between my father ten years ago and my father today. There was something about him that would be forever youthful.

"We went bowling, Edward," Peter answered for me politely. He had tried calling Dad 'Mr. Cullen' and 'sir', but Dad insisted that 'Mr. Cullen' was Grandpa's name.

"How bad did Madi kick your ass-I meant, butt?" Dad said, correcting himself quickly. I smiled widely.

"Are you kidding? I totally creamed him." I was not as modest as I probably should've been. Peter almost blushed and Dad chuckled quietly.

"Sorry Peter, I think you may have to stop bowling with Madi." Something over Dad's shoulder caught his attention and he smiled widely. I knew before she rounded the corner that it was Mom. Nothing made Dad smile like my mother, Bella.

Well, she's not my biological mother; unfortunately, she started out as our nanny. But, Dad fell for her quickly and now they've been married for years. Ever since second grade or so. To Owen, Peter, Lucy, and me, she was our mother.

"Good evening, love," Dad said as Mom kissed him quickly on the cheek. They were so obviously in love that it made you want to turn away so you wouldn't ruin their moment. I couldn't have better parents. Mom and Dad held hands as Dad continued stirring the soup.

I wanted to find someone who would love me like Dad loves Mom. I want their kind of relationship.

Peter grabbed my hand tightly.

OPOV

"Oh crap, we're going to be late for dinner," I mumbled into Lucy's shoulder. I grudgingly got up from the bed before offering my hand to pull Lucy up.

"Whatever Edward's making, it smells good," Lucy said as she pulled me out of my room and into the kitchen/dining room area. Madi, Peter, Mom, and Dad were already sitting at the table and clearly waiting for us.

"So lovely of you to join us," Mom said with a smile that told me she wasn't angry.

"Sorry, we lost track of time," Lucy apologized for both of us. We sat down in the two empty seats. We all grabbed hands and our arms formed a circle. Though we aren't religious per se, we did say what we were thankful for every day before dinner.

"I'm thankful for friends," I started the off.

"Twins," Lucy said, winking at Peter.

"Family," Madi said, smiling.

"Time left," Peter said softly.

"Kids," Dad said, looking around at the four of us.

"Love," Mom finished. The rest of the family let go of each other's hands but I kept a tight hold on Lucy's hand under the table. I ate with my left hand, which I managed to do surprisingly well. The family ate as Mom and Dad started some small talk.

Madi met my eyes before her's noticed that I was eating with my left hand. She smiled as she realized Lucy and I were holding hands under the table. I'd never really dated anyone so this was new and exciting for Madi. She seemed genuinely happy to see Lucy and me happy. Still, I'll have to talk to her tonight. It's new, for all of us.

"Your sister isn't being very stealthy," Lucy whispered into my ear.

"It's Madi. What did you expect?" I asked quietly. Mom and Dad were talking to Madi and Peter about the new bowling champion. I moved our intertwined hands to rest on my knee, where it stayed for the rest of dinner.

"Kids, your mother and I will take care of the dishes this once. You're free to go," Dad said, waving us away with a flick of his wrist. Lucy and I untangled our hands before standing up and making our way back to my room. I leisurely closed the door behind us and locked it for good measure.

"Come here, sweetie," I muttered, motioning to my open arms. She wrapped her thin arms around my chest and we stood in silence, enjoying the feeling of being ourselves.

Despite how much Lucy dreaded it, I was merely waiting on her to tell my parents.

"I love you," Lucy said into the silence. I'd never noticed how beautiful her voice was. It had a velvet quality to it, but yet it was still melodious and light.

"I love you too, Lucy," I whispered into her hair. I pulled back so I could rest my forehead on hers. My hand slipped into her hair and gripped it lightly at the base of her neck. I kissed her softly and slowly, not wanting to break the peaceful mood. I broke off the kiss and moved my lips to her cheek. I heard Lucy sigh contentedly and smiled, happy because she was happy.

MPOV

"So Peter," I said once we were in my room, sitting on my bed, "about that thing you were thinking about at the bowling alley. Can you tell me about it now?"

"I'm not sure now is the right time," Peter said, calm as rain. He reached over to grip my hand unthinkingly. I was sure he could hear my heat speed up at his simple touch.

"Peter," I pouted like a four year old. "I _really_ want to know. I thought we didn't hide things from each other."

Peter was my best friends in the whole world. If this was important enough for him to think about and hide even after I ask him about it, I wanted to know. We're so connected that if something was bothering him, it would bother me.

"Madi, please. Let me have one secret. I will tell you soon, I promise." He looked into my eyes calmly and I melted. Someone would have to mop my remains into a bucket, because I was pure liquid on the floor.

_Pull yourself together, it's just Peter_. I was being completely pathetic. I knew that, but I still couldn't get it together. Either I was a push-over or completely in love. Maybe there's a thin line between love and an incapacity to function.

"Hey, are you with me?" Peter asked, waving his hand jokingly in front of my face. I came to and my first instinct was to blurt out something random, but I kept my mouth shut. I nodded instead. When I decided it was safe, I opened my mouth.

"I was just daydreaming." I sighed before mentally shaking myself again. Maybe if I couldn't see him, I wouldn't be such a mess. I stretched out so that my head was on the pillow and my legs were draped over Peter's lap.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he quipped and rested his arms across my legs.

"That's not fair. I won't tell you what I'm thinking until you tell me about your 'necessary secret'." I sat up on my elbows so I could smirk at him.

"You're not very nice," he said in a miserable voice, but the smile gave him away.

"And you're as stubborn as an ass," I shot back.

"I'm an adorable ass."

"I _have_ a more adorable ass."

Wait, did I just say that? By then, I was sitting up completely and my hands were on his arm.

"You're lucky I lo-… Erm, you're lucky I'm your best friend, because anyone else would take you seriously," he started awkwardly but recovered quickly.

"I'm very lucky, _bestie_." I smiled widely and pretended to not have heard the first part of his sentence. Peter rolled his eyes dramatically and put his arms up in the universal 'surrender' position.

"I digress," he smirked and took his defeat gracefully. "You are very nice, even if you won't tell what you're thinking about." He gave me a pointed glare but I shook my head.

"Thank you," I said, happy that I'd won this round. I plopped back onto my pillows, completely contented.

"So, how's your day been?" Peter asked me sweetly.

"It's been lovely, thank you for asking," I said, a little surprised. "I hope I haven't been _too _rude today."

"I've long accepted that you're a little snarky and sarcastic, it's OK." He shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"I'd say something mean and snippy, but that'd just prove your point."

"That's my girl," he said, beaming down at me. It almost seemed adoring, in a way.

I have the best friend in the world.

* * *

**AN: I'm so excited! 'Thanks to the Children' has been nominated for the best daughter/son/kid award on twilightawardsforme(dot)webs(dot)com. I would appreciate you guys going and voting for me. Now, back to business, I'm back from my trip so my updates will not stop for long periods of time again. I apologize and I hope I haven't lost a lot of readers because I've been gone.**

**FUNFACT: Duke TIP has amazing people and San Fransisco is simply beautiful. Just FYI :)**

**Thanks to my unofficial Beta, Music ADD, for all she does. Thanks for reading and I like reveiws, Emma**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

OPOV

I kept my mouth shut as Madi and I started walking the three blocks to school.

"So, you and Lucy," Madi said suggestively, breaking the silence. I sighed dramatically.

"What do you want to know?" Madi and I were very close, so she's used to knowing my secrets. That does go both ways, but she pushes it more than I do.

"When? When did you first kiss her? When did you start feeling like…that? How long are you planning on hiding it from Mom and Dad?" Her questions poured out of her mouth as we slowed our walking to a mere moseying.

"Well, I kissed her about a month ago, but I think I've loved her like that for over a year. When it comes to Mom and Dad, I think I'm about ready to tell them but I don't want to push Lucy too hard. She doesn't want it to be awkward with Mom and Dad. I understand, but it's been a month. It's definitely something serious and I want to share this with them. But, again, this is up to Lucy." Madi nodded thoughtfully, taking it all in.

"Tell her what you told me. Maybe she'll do it for you."

"Maybe, but I don't want her to do it for me, I want her to do it because she wants too. The last thing I want is for her to feel pressure, especially from me." I knew I was being extra cautious, but this was still new and way too precious for me to, for lack of a phrase that would portray the same emotion, fuck it up.

"You really love her, don't you?" Madi's smile spread across her face, but there was something dark in her eyes.

"I do, a lot," I answered, answering her smile with a smile of my own before my lips dropped a bit. "Madi, are you OK? Your eyes are sad." I touched her cheek softly as we walked. By now, we could almost see the school roof.

"I'm not sad, I'm just thinking." I didn't believe her.

"Who do I need to beat up, sis?" I said, messing up her hair with my hand. She ducked out of the way and started fixing the mess I had created.

"I don't think you'd want to beat him up," Madi said with a slightly sad smile. We stepped through the school gates and into the large, cement courtyard that was completely surrounded by school buildings.

"So it's a guy! Now you have to explain," I said loudly as I began poking her in the stomach. We were at our corner of the courtyard where Lucy and Peter were waiting. I stopped poking a blushing Madi and wrapped my arms around Lucy's waist for a quick hug. I kept a hold of her waist with one arm as I shrugged my backpack off.

"What is this about a guy, Madi?" Lucy said, raising her eyebrows. Madi's blush became more pronounced as she looked down.

"It's nothing," she mumbled. Peter looked up and met my eyes. He silently pleaded with me to change the subject. Of course he felt awkward. He was in love with Madi and Lucy and I are teasing her about another guy. I changed the subject to school, but my mind was still on the subject of Madi's mystery guy. I will talk to her about it. You know, later…when Peter, my best guy friend, isn't around to hear about my sister, his crush, talk about her crush on someone else.

This is kinda awkward.

MPOV

"Hello gorgeous," Peter said, pushing off the wall as I walked out of last period. I matched his pace and we walked in the direction of my house.

"Hey Peter," I said as I linked arms with him casually.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"Same old, same old," I said noncommittally. Having nothing to say, the rest of the walk was spent in silence. It would have been comfortable if I hadn't felt vibes rolling off of Peter. He seemed tense and a little distant from me. It wasn't like him.

But, then again, I wasn't the most engaged either.

I was close to the same around him, but a part of me was reclusive and wary of being hurt. I knew Peter would never hurt me _as a friend_, but him rejecting me as something more would hurt me more than anything else could. While one part of me wanted to pull back to stop myself from getting hurt, the larger part of me needed to be near him. I slipped my arm through his as we neared the front doors of my apartment building.

"I talked to Lucy last night," Peter finally said. He opened the front door and he let me slip in before him.

"Yeah?" I prodded, leaning against the elevator wall.

"Well, I think I messed up when I said something about rules if I'm going to let her date Owen," he said with a grimace.

"Peter! I can't believe you." I slapped his arm quickly. "Of course Lucy freaked. You can't tell her what to do and expect her to like it."

"I know that, but it just slipped out. It's Lucy…and a guy…and touching. She's my sister and I let my protective side get the better of me."

"Peter," I sighed, pulling him through my front door to my room. We dropped our bags by the door before collapsing on my bed.

"Did you talk to Owen yet?" Peter said, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah. He really loves your sister, man. I can't believe they managed to hide it from us because it is so obvious now." I rested my head on Peter's shoulder and my forehead was against his neck. He pulled me a little closer and my heart began to race. I had to tell myself that it was just friendly, that he just did it on instinct. On the inside, I hoped it was something more but I couldn't truly admit it to myself.

"As a group, the four of us are unusually close. What's normal for us isn't normal for other. The signs of their relationship mixed easily with how they've always acted," Peter mused quietly. I almost let out an audible gasp when his hand started playing with my long hair and weaved it through his fingers. I forced myself to relax and enjoy the feeling.

"Yeah," I said noncommittally.

"Are you dropping signs?" Peter asked out of the blue.

"Signs of what?" I said, turning so I could see his face. His expression was flat and didn't give me any idea of his thoughts. Peter never hid his emotions from me.

"The guy you like. Are you leaving signs that you like him?" I forced myself to shrug.

"I don't know. You tell me."

_Shit._ Stop. Talking. Now. I clamped my mouth shut and quickly flipped over so that my back was against Peter's chest. My face felt hot and my stomach turned unpleasantly. I can't believe I said that; I wasn't supposed to. I have no idea where that came from.

"Should I read into that?" Peter said after a long pause. He obviously was at a loss of what to say.

"I don't know. I don't know anything." That was a lie. I knew I loved Peter and…I knew that now was as good a time as any to tell him. "Actually, I do know that…I lo-" and that's as far as I got.

I couldn't say it. There I was, lying in his arms, and I couldn't say how I actually felt about him. I was such a wuss, a true class A wimp. I never thought of myself as weak or whiny, but that's how I felt. I couldn't woman-up and say a simple sentence. I love him, and I couldn't _say _it. It shouldn't be that hard. People say it all the time, right?

"I do know that I have a huge French test tomorrow and will fail it if I don't study." I rolled off the bed and began digging through my binders.

Begin the mocking of my bravery…now.

OPOV

"Owen, Peter is an a-hole." Lucy said as she buried her face in my chest and I relaxed against the wall behind my bed.

"Why is that, sweetie?" I started braiding and unbraiding her long hair slowly.

"He wanted to set rules if, and I quote, 'if I'm going to let you date Owen.' As if he had the power to stop me! I understand he doesn't want to see his sister dating, but he doesn't have any authority over me. I can always _choose _to follow his advice, but I don't have to. He can't tell me what to do!" As Lucy's rant came to an end, I lifted her head up by her chin and met her eyes.

"I understand his reaction, but-" I started.

"I thought you were on my side!" Lucy interrupted, her eyes blazing with indignation.

"I am. You didn't let me finished. I understand, but it still wasn't appropriate. He should've explained what caused his overprotective side to go into hyper drive. He's used to being…the only man in your life. Sure, I was your best friend growing up, but that's all I was; a friend. Now, he feels like he's losing you to me. His orders were his last push to remain the most important man in your life. He didn't mean for it to come across the way it did," I explained, continuing to play with her blonde hair.

"Wow. How do you figure all that?" Lucy asked, resting her forehead on my neck.

"I put myself in his place. I would feel hurt, like I was giving Madi up to someone else. I want to always be the only man she needs, even though I want her to be happy and have a family. I would have my freak-out first, and then regain some rational thinking. I'm sure Peter is already kicking himself for what he said." I patted the top of her head comfortingly.

"Thank you for explaining. I guess Peter isn't an ass hole, but an overreacting and caring sibling. I'll apologize to Peter next time I see him." Madi said.

"What did you do?" I asked, though I was sure I probably didn't want to know.

"I might have…thrown my history textbook at him," she admitted.

"Of course you did, Lucy. What else should you have thrown at him?"

* * *

**AN: Yes. I haven't updated in ages. I feel absolutly horrible about that, and i have the most famous excuse: I've been busy. Yes, I know everyone has been busy but I'm just trying to keep a grasp on what's going on in my life at the moment. I've also had writer's block that has made it difficult for me to write even when I found the time. I hope I haven't lost too many readers because I haven't been updating as much, but know that I appreciate everyone who has found the time to read my stories and reviews just make my day. Please don't stop supporting my stories.**

**FUNFACT: I've been on FF for a year!!!! YAY! I have written 171171 words (173372 words including this chapter), finished three complete stories, 1 1-shot, and found an expressive outlet. I'd never written a page of anything until a year ago, and now writing has been my way of expressing what goes on inside of me. It's begun to be a part of who I am. I know it's not amazing or anything profound, but it's helped me and all the positive reviews have helped my self-esteem. **

**My beta hasn't edited this one. I wanted to get it out because I haven't updated in so long. Thanks for reading and I love reveiws, Emma.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: No one knows how bad I am more than I do. I'll ass-kiss more later. I'll recap, since it has been so long: Lucy and Peter are twins. Madi and Owen are Edward's twins. Lucy and Owen are dating, haven't told Edward and Bella, but have told Peter and Madi. They're cool with it. Lucy knows that Madi likes Owen. Owen knows that Peter likes Madi. Madi and Peter don't know that the other likes them. There was a miscommunication and Peter thinks Madi likes someone else when she was really talking about Peter. Sooo....back to the (terribly late) chapter. **

* * *

Chapter Five

MPOV

"Owen, get out. I need to talk to the lovely Lucy," I said, giving Owen a push towards his door.

"You can't kick me out of my own room!" he cried as I gave him a last push and he stumbled back out the door.

"Love you, bro," I yelled after him quickly. I jumped on the bed where Lucy was giggling furiously into her hand. "Lucy, I need to talk to you. About Peter. In complete secrecy. I'm going to blow up if I don't talk about it. Seriously, I'm freaking out."

"I can tell. Chill and spill, Madi," Lucy said, grabbing both of my hands in hers in an attempt to make me stop flailing my arms about.

"I'm in love with Peter. I don't just love him like a friend anymore. It's scary and I was going to tell him about…oh, I don't know, half an hour ago until I chickened out and made up some excuse about studying for French and I felt so stupid and I told him I needed to study with you so….say something," I pleaded, thoroughly hysterical now. Lucy stared at me for a second before blinking.

"I'm not surprised. I thought it was going to happen," she said calmly.

"Well, I didn't! How can you be so calm, cool, and collected while I'm _freaking _out? I need your help, Lucy." I shook her hands off and began clenching my fists to take out some frustration.

"What can I say? He loves you too? I can't say that, but I think it may be true. I'm not sure, but I see the way he looks at you. I've seen the way the two of you interact and what I've seen suggests that he might love you, but he hasn't explicitly told me so." I was about to interrupt her, but she just shook her head before continuing.

"What I can say is this: you need to tell him. I've been where you are; I know how it feels to be afraid. Afraid of losing someone you love, afraid of not being good enough, afraid of screwing it up, afraid of losing faith in yourself. But you can't be. I promise you, you'll regret not telling him. I know my brother, and he would never hurt you intentionally or make you feel unworthy regardless of how he feels. Trust me, trust yourself, and trust Peter."

I took a minute to think about what Lucy said. The more I thought, the less frantic I became and the more ration my thinking was. Lucy was a miracle worker. I leaned forward and pulled her into a long hug that she eventually broke.

"Thanks Luce, I needed to hear that. I'm just…confused about how to go about telling him. I can't be all like 'Hi Peter, I love you. Goodbye.' That would be humiliating. And, of course, there has to be a Plan B in case Plan A doesn't work. I should also have a plan of action for what to do if he says he doesn't love me back." I stopped and took a deep breathe to calm myself down again.

"You know what? I think we should take a break from Peter. Take the night to think about it and sometime tomorrow I'll kick Peter out of your room and we'll revisit the issue once you've had to consider all of your options," Lucy said diplomatically. Oh, how I envy her for her calmness while handling this situation.

"OK, that sounds good. So I hear that you had an argument with Peter last night," I said to change the subject.

"Yeah, he was being stubborn until I threw my textbook at him. After that, he seemed to get the message." OK, so she wasn't always so calm.

"Lucy, don't hurt the guy. I talked to him about it today before…yeah, but he seems really sorry for what he said yesterday. He just needed a little bit," I said, getting a chance to comfort her. "So, I assume you're going to homecoming with Owen?" I asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"He hasn't asked me yet, but I'm sure he will. That's next Friday, right?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, it is. Do you have a dress yet?"

"Nope, but I need to. Do you want to go dress shopping with me tomorrow?" Lucy asked, leaning her back against Owen's pillow. I nodded.

"I don't have anything else going on. But Lucy, how are you going to explain to Dad and Bella that you're going with Owen?" I asked as I leaned forward onto my elbows.

"I'll tell them we're going as friends because we didn't want to be badgered about who we were going with." She cocked her head to the side. "Aren't you going with Peter? I think he mentioned it a couple of weeks ago."

"He hasn't said anything about it. Maybe…I should say something about going as friends?" I said, even though it came out like a question.

"How did we end up talking about me brother again? Look, just ask him as to go as your date. It would be a good time to tell him how you feel. You have a week from tomorrow to think about how and what you are going to say. Plus, I'm going to find you a dress that will look so stunning on you that if he doesn't already love you, he will after he sees you in that dress." I thought about before finally coming to the conclusion that I might as well get it over with and the dance seemed as good a time as any.

"That sounds great, Luce. You're a life saver."

"Yes, well…" she said, fluffing up her hair. I rolled me eyes and giggled. "Now, get out of here. Peter will know that we definitely aren't studying for French." I stood up and was about to walk out of the room but I turned around at the door.

"Luce, you had better find one fucking amazing dress."

"Oh, I will."

* * *

"So Peter, I was thinking," I started, breaking the silence in my room. Peter looked up from his spot on the floor.

"That's good. Are you going to tell me what you were thinking about?" he joked. He closed the Biology book in his lap so he could turn around and see me better.

"I was thinking that you should be my date to homecoming."

And my face turned a brighter red than the sweater Grandma Esme made me wear last Christmas.

The last word seemed to hang in the air. As soon as I said it, I started blushing. I monitored Peter's facial expressions. At first, he just looked surprised but then he began to smile. What the hell did that mean? I almost said, "Never mind", but I bit my tongue. My stomach dropped as Peter's smile turned into a frown.

"What about that guy you liked?" Oh. Right. Him. I forgot about that.

"He wasn't going to ask me. Besides, you're my best friend. You are my favorite person to spend time with," I said lightly. I smiled and shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, I'll go with you. Should I bring you a corsage?" he teased. I let out a relieved sigh before smiling.

"I'm definitely a red roses kind of person. You should keep that in mind when you're shopping for my corsage," I hinted unsubtly. He smirked and moved to sit next to me on the bed.

"I most definitely will remember that. What color is your dress? Your aunt Alice will insist that we color coordinate."

"I don't have one yet. I'm shopping with your sister tomorrow. Don't worry about color coordinating, I'm sure Aunt Alice will pick out your clothes for you," I said, laughing slightly. Aunt Alice was a trip. "Anyway, thank you for going with me. You saved me from going alone."

"Gorgeous, you are so beautiful that you could have any man you wanted." My heart rate sped up and I felt lightheaded. He was going to kill me. I swear I can hear the news anchors now…

_Young high school student killed by compliment from best friend. Officials are still unsure as to the exact wording of the murder weapon, but they assume it was a big freaking deal. The murderer is claiming that it was an accident. The murdered person involved is simply lying on the floor, dead and dazed. Between you and me, I think the murdered person thinks the murderer could possibly know that he had intense power over the murdered. _

Well, that'd make for an interesting news story.

"Peter, the compliments are appreciated, but over kill. You know how big my head can get," I joked, patting his hand lightly.

"Hey, I'm just stating the truth. It isn't my fault that you're blind to your amazing-ness! Really, you'd have to be pretty amazing to be _my_ best friend." I stared at him before flicking his nose. Hard. I ignored his exclamation of pain and picked up the discarded Biology text book.

"So, how hard is this Biology crap?" I asked, bracing myself for a few hours of hard book work.

"Depends. Do you enjoy blood types and punnet squares?" Why must he answer a question with a question?

"They are my favorite part of Biology. I could do a hundred punnet squares and never get bored," I dead panned. Peter glanced up from the book with a look of disbelief. He saw my blank expression and cracked a grin.

"In that case, you'll hate it and find it incredibly difficult to focus. The work itself is easy peasy." I nodded and sighed, resigning myself to a few _hundred _punnet squares. I started to get a sheet of notebook paper before I was hit with an idea. Better yet, it was a _good _idea. An evil grin spread across my face.

"Oh Peter dearest?" I asked in my sweetest voice.

"Yes, my Madi?" he asked in his most wary tone.

"Have you finished your work?" My voice kept its sickeningly sweet tone.

"Yes, but you can't copy. It isn't right. Plus, you copy my work too much and you're never going to learn anything." Peter and his morals. It's so…infuriating. I swallowed my frustration as I was hit without an ingenious plan. It probably wouldn't work but…I really hate punnet squares.

I leaned down slowly and place my lips right next to his jaw, centimeters from his skin. I let out a breath and I swear he shivered. "Peter, please. For me." I lightly pressed my hand into the back of his neck, earning another shiver. "We could spend more time together if you just…handed me the paper." I didn't move any closer, but continued to let my warm breath float across his neck and started playing with the hair at the base of his neck. _Please work, please work, please…_

"You're ridiculous," he grumbled. Peter reached into his bag and pulled out his completed Biology homework. I smiled and pressed a kiss into his cheek.

"Thanks, Peter darling," I said brightly. He had saved me a lot of time and trouble, not to mention showed me a new way of manipulation. How handy.

"Yeah, whatever. I hope you fail the next test."

"I love you too," I said in a sing-song tone.

* * *

**AN: I suck. I've been busy and had the worst writers' block in the world and....blah blah I'm stupid and suckish blah blah. Really, I'm sorry. I'll update my other stories as soon as I can but...I apologize for taking so long. Life has just...happened. It tends to do that, doesn't it?**

**FUNFACT: I really do love punnet squares and blood types. They really are my favorite part of Biology. Yes, I know that I'm a nerd. I (and everyone that has ever met me, for that matter) know that I'm a nerd. **

**My Beta, Music ADD, hasn't edited this one because I'm trying to get it up ASAP, but I'm thanking her for putting up with my shit. Sorry. (I feel like I've already said that...) Anyway, thanks for reading and I like reviews, Emma**


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